Party steps up fight against corruption

24 senior officials have been placed under investigation in 1st half of the year

Former vice-minister of public security Sun Lijun became on Friday the latest high-profile official to be punished for corruption after he received a death sentence with a two-year reprieve for taking bribes, manipulating the stock market and illegal possession of firearms.

Together with Sun, who was considered the ringleader of his political clique and will remain behind bars for the rest of his life, several members of this gang, including former justice minister Fu Zhenghua and three former police chiefs of Shanghai, Chongqing and Shanxi province, were also sentenced separately last week.

The punishment meted out to this former high-profile official and his clique was just the latest example of China's tough and unrelenting battle against corruption, which experts said has focused on key industries and sectors to improve its effectiveness, and has been accompanied by strengthened oversight and management to curb graft and its pernicious influence.